I've written a blog on that

Over recent weeks, as I've delivered "soft skills and mindsets for unprecedented times" sessions, I have been heard to say "I've written a blog on that" - with over 500 posts on the purchasing coach blog and 200 here you'd like to hope so. 

Here's a list of just some of those very posts that I think would be helpful as we face what were unimaginable situations only a few short weeks ago.

• Commit to shorter steps - don't give up on your goal just know that the steps we can take at the moment are just shorter or will be making the stepping out much easier when we can do so.
• I don't believe it's raining - a reminder to test the evidence we're using to inform our beliefs.
• Beware building reflected bridges with others rather than real one - now more than ever we need to ensure the bridges we build with others are solid ones.
• 7 keys to a buzzing life - a few hints and tips from the bees about how to keep motivated and enthused.

• The wave - my favourite short story I've written about a wave.
• The stone - another short story about the impact of being off kilter!
• The power of metaphor - interesting applying the insight from Brexit to our current situation.
• Going round in circles - and how to stop it!
• How to have full impact - WOW interesting to apply the insight to having personal impact on our well-being 
• How to see the wood for the trees 
• Is it time to get your head above the parapet - rather than keep it in the sand? 

An index of more logical and less unconventional posts to support mental, physical and emotional well being can be found over on my Purchasing Coach blog.

You may also find this Landscaping Your Life YouTube playlist helpful using nature as our coach  - turn the sound down a little for the first vlog ;-)

Also watch this space for an extract from Can't see the wood for the trees - Landscaping your life to get back on track to help you see the wood at these unprecedented times.

Do let me know if something I've written resonates - and do please also share this index with others who you think might benefit.

If you'd like to be kept up to date with what I'm up to you can sign up for my newsletter here.

Keep hold of your float?

Don’t forget to find your float this week.

Some external help to support your resilience, and keep your head above water.

I’ve shared a lot over the last week about #keepingafloat, and was reminded when I went swimming yesterday that keeping afloat is easier with a little external help because:

• Swimming to safety may by beyond us at the moment.
• Treading water can be tiring after a while.
• Floating requires trust and faith in inaction which is often lacking when stressed, and certainly when faced with unprecedented and unfamiliar events.

Which is where the float comes in - a little external buoyancy to hold on to as you’re buffeted by the waves.

Look after you, and take time with your float with week.

Much love

Alison xx

And I've appreciated the positive responses to my equinox newsletter this week - you can sign up here 

Keeping Afloat

This is the second of what is going to be a series of vlogs about helping us tap into our inner wisdom and keep afloat at this time.

To do this I'm sharing insights from a coaching tool I use in coaching and workshops. It’s called the frameworks for change coaching process * & involves exploring the words on a series of cards to help us to tap into our inner wisdom.

An inner wisdom that is able to connect us to our inner calm.

Today’s insights to keep afloat are

• Insight: You let go of some old trappings, nice going.
• Potential setback: Setback by feelings of superiority in the current situation.
• Insight: An opportunity to give truthful feedback, be honest with all that are involved.
• Mentor: Strength

Reflect on your own thoughts about these cards, and I’ve shared some thoughts on the video and here's some additional thoughts too.

Insight: You let go of some old trappings, nice going.

The one thing that will help us cope better in the current situation is looking after our mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.

Now is the time therefore to stop doing what we know does not serve us – if ringing a specific friend always leaves you angry or frustrated then stop ringing them, if a particular food makes your energy slump stop eating it, or if a certain exercise always makes you tired could you swap it for something that uplifts you? 

Potential setback: Setback by feelings of superiority in the current situation. 

Superiority can lead to us thinking “this won’t happen to me” or “I’m better than them” and can potentially lead us to cutting corners in the belief that we are infallible. Washing hands, keeping our distance, and following guidance is for all of us not just everyone else.  

Insight: An opportunity to give truthful feedback, be honest with all that are involved.

It was hard deciding to own and acknowledge my own jitteriness here. Especially as I understand that a positive and optimist mindset is paramount in supporting us to get to the other side. That said, not owning how we’re feeling is not supportive. Once acknowledged rather pushed down and away it’s easier to deal with whatever is coming up for us at this time.

Mentor: Strength

We all have inner strength and it’s when times are hard or difficult that we discover how deep our strength goes.

Dig deep, connect in, recall someone who is a role model for strength, remember times when your strength was ever present – do what ever you can to connect into that steel and strength within. 

I'm posting on LinkedIn , Facebook and YouTube daily so pop over there to have a daily dose of insight to help keep you afloat. I'll only be sharing occasionally here. I posted the first Keeping afloat vlog over on my Purchasing Coach blog.

* The process, the insight, setback and mentor cards used here are from Frameworks for Change © Innerlinks - www.innerlinks.com.

You can get a less businessy set of very similar cards online from Amazon or in person as Findhorn Phoenix shop - the cards are called Intuitive Solutions (Amazon UK, Amazon US).